intermission
Americannoun
-
a short interval between the acts of a play or parts of a public performance, usually a period of approximately 10 or 15 minutes, allowing the performers and audience a rest.
-
a period during which action temporarily ceases; an interval between periods of action or activity.
They studied for hours without an intermission.
-
the act or fact of intermitting; state of being intermitted.
to work without intermission.
noun
-
an interval, as between parts of a film
-
a period between events or activities; pause
-
the act of intermitting or the state of being intermitted
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intermission
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin intermissiōn- (stem of intermissiō ) interruption, equivalent to intermiss ( us ) (past participle of intermittere to intermit ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The lengthy pause in the middle of a play or concert is called an intermission. If you're hungry, you might have time to grab a snack during the intermission. The word intermission has a Latin root, intermissionem, "a breaking off or interruption." Originally, it meant any temporary pause, but by the 1850s it was often used in reference to breaks between acts in theatrical performances. In the UK, this is known as an "interval," but in North America, theater and concert attendees wait until the intermission to use the restroom.
Vocabulary lists containing intermission
Reading: Literature - Drama - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Reading: Literature - Drama - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Blasted to Smithereens: Synonyms for "Break"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Intermission was started early, and the teams played the remainder of the first period after the break.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2023
Intermission has a number of environmental puzzles that involve clambering up pipes and running along walls.
From The Verge • Jul. 7, 2021
Intermission is also an obligatory part of the proceedings, and the more obligatory it feels, the more of a drag it becomes.
From Washington Post • Jul. 7, 2017
Players from an earlier game cleared the floor, as Dom Kennedy’s “A Intermission for Watts” boomed over the loudspeakers: “Love to the Eastside, but Watts is the motherland.”
From The New Yorker • Aug. 4, 2016
You allow yourself no Intermission in, nor ever give over studying.
From Colloquies of Erasmus, Volume I. by Erasmus, Desiderius
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
